But it would be tedious to recite all the repeated sentences in the Psalms, which are commonly supposed to be the responses of the people, or repeated by them. And in Rev. xiv. 2, 3, the voice as "of many waters and as of a great thunder, and the voice of harpers harping with their harps, who sung a new song before the throne and before the four beasts and the elders, a song which none could learn but the hundred forty and four thousand which were redeemed from the earth, which were not defiled with women, who were virgins and followed the Lamb," &c. doth seem very plainly to be spoken of the praises of all the saints. Chap. xvii. 15, by waters is meant people, multitudes, &c. And chap. xix. 5-8, there is expressly recited a form of praise for all the people: "A voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great. And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. Let us be glad, and rejoice, and give honour to him; for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her it was granted," &c.
And indeed he that hath styled all his people "priests to God, and a holy and royal priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ, and to show forth the praises (τὰς ἀρετὰς, the virtues) of him that hath called us out of darkness into his marvellous light," doth seem not to take them for so profane a generation, as to be prohibited from speaking to God in public any otherwise than by the mouth of a priest.
And it seemeth to be more allowed (and not less) under the gospel, than under the law; because then the people, as under guilt, were kept at a greater distance from God, and must speak to him more by a priest that was a type of Christ our Intercessor.[327] But now we are brought nigh, and reconciled to God, and have the spirit of sons, and may go by Christ alone unto the Father. And therefore though it be true that ministers yet are sub-intercessors under Christ our High Priest, yet they are rarely called priests, but described more in the New Testament by other parts of their office.
_Object._ But the people's responses make a confused noise in the assemblies, not intelligible.
_Answ._ All things are ill done, that are done by ill men that carnally and formally slubber it over: but if the best and holiest people would unanimously set themselves to do it, as they do in singing psalms, so that they did not only stand by to be the hearers of others, it would be done more orderly and spiritually, as well as singing is.
[326] 1 Cor. xiv.; Psal. cl.; lxxxi. 2, 3; xcviii. 5; xciv. 1-3, &c.; cv. 2, 7, &c.; cxlv. throughout; Col. iii. 16.
[327] Numb. i. 54; iii. 10, 31; Exod. xx.; Heb. iv. 16, 17; Eph. ii. 13; Heb. xii. 18, 21-23.
Quest. LXXXIV. _Is it not a sin for our clerks to make themselves the mouth of the people, who are no ordained ministers of Christ?_
_Answ._ 1. In those places where ordained deacons do it, this objection hath no place. 2. The clerks are not appointed to be the mouth of the people, but only each clerk is one of the people commanded to do that which all should do, lest it should be wholly left undone. If all the congregation will speak all that the clerk doth, it will answer the primary desire of the church governors, who bid the people do it; but if they that will not do it themselves, shall pretend that the clerk doth usurp the ministry, because he ceaseth not as well as they; they might as well say so by a few that should sing psalms in the church, when the rest are against it and forbear. May not a man do his duty in singing or saying, when you refuse yours, without pretending to be your mouth, or usurping the ministry?
Quest. LXXXV. _Are repetitions of the same words in church prayers, lawful?_
_Answ._ 1. It is not lawful to affect them as the heathens, who think they shall be heard for their battology, or saying over the same words, as if God were moved by them, as by a charm.[328] 2. Nor is it lawful to do that which hath a strong appearance of such a conceit, and thereby to make God's worship ridiculous and contemptible; as the papists in their psalters, and prayer books, repeating over the name of Jesus, and Mary, so oft together as maketh it seem a ludicrous canting.